Grandma Leach's Fruitcake

My grandmother and mother made these cakes for years. They are moist but don’t contain eggs. Applesauce is the secret ingredient. I sold these at bake sales for years and we had many customers who returned every year just to get one.

Original recipe makes 48 servings

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cloves
3 cups unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 pound candied mixed fruit
2 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 cup walnut halves
1 cup halved candied cherries

PREP

10 mins
COOK

1 hr
READY IN

1 hr 10 mins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch tube pan and one 9×5 inch loaf pan.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves into a large bowl. Stir in the applesauce and oil, then mix in the raisins, dates, mixed fruit and 2 cups of walnuts. Pour into the prepared pans. Pans should be about 3/4 full if using mini pans, or an assortment.
Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the crown of the cake comes out clean.